#crmonline — Public Fediverse posts

Recently, we have been working with a few customers to fine tune the performance of their CRM Online systems. I would like to share the findings of our research with you.

Most of the time, and very rarely otherwise, CRM online performance is defined by end user connection, equipment, software and system configuration. I will discuss each of them to give you a little bit of insight.

Using an Online system you have to have an internet connection – quite obvious, but will any connection work well? Again, the simple truth is that the better connection you have the quicker your online system is most likely to respond. But even now – in 21st century (2015), what some geeks describe as location, there are still households and businesses with internet speed less than 2Mbps, when modern online society are working with speeds getting close to 100Mbps and in some cases a lot more. As CRM online information is communicated via secure ports of your connection – speed available through secure port may be a limiting factor. That may vary on each network settings and organisation requirements. To check your CRM Online response time from any of the locations you can go to https:///tools/diagnostics/diag.aspx, please note that to run the test, you have to have System Administrator privileges. Recommended latency is under 100ms (under 150ms will work) and recommended bandwidth more than 50Kbps, but these values are recommendations only and do not guarantee satisfactory performance.

Equipment (hardware) does play considerable part in online system delivery performance as well. If you only generally do basic browsing, emailing and messaging – a very basic computer usually does the job well enough, but when accessing online systems like CRM and similar, the performance may be not up to satisfactory level. The following displays MS Dynamics CRM for Outlook Client hardware requirements:

Component

Minimum

Recommended

Processor

2.9 gigahertz (GHz) or faster x86- or x64-bit dual core processor with SSE2 instruction set

3.3 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 64-bit dual core processor with SSE2 instruction set and 3 MB or more L3 cache

Memory

2-GB RAM

4-GB RAM or more

Display

Super VGA with a resolution of 1024 x 768

Super VGA with a resolution of 1024 x 768

CRM Online can be accessed using different applications: the most direct way of accessing the system is using web application via browser, Microsoft Outlook with CRM add-in can be used, or Dynamics CRM mobile application when using a mobile device.

Users can access the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web application on the most recent versions of the following browsers:

• Internet Explorer on Windows
  • Windows 10 supported when you use Internet Explorer 11
  • Windows 8.1 supported when you use Internet Explorer 11
  • Windows 8 supported when you use Internet Explorer 10
  • Windows 7 
• Microsoft Edge on Windows 10
• Firefox on Windows
• Safari on Mac OS X
• Chrome on Windows or Google Nexus 10

Outlook CRM add-in usually is used to give end user familiar Outlook interface and provide Exchange and CRM integration. The down side of this option may be, that first load time of Outlook increases as it has to load yet another add-in (as well as already installed ones such as antivirus).

To use Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Microsoft Office integration features, such as Export to Excel and Mail Merge, you must have one of the following Microsoft Office versions on the computer that is running the Microsoft Dynamics CRM web application:

• Microsoft Office 365
• Microsoft Office 2016
• Microsoft Office 2013

For a mobile device, such as an iPad or smartphone, the following apps are available:

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM for iPad
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Windows
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Android

Full compatibility and supported applications specification can found though the links at the end of this post.

And lastly CRM system setup and configuration can affect end user experience as loading a lot of JavaScript functions or iframes as well as running many workflows on forms does not help the cause.

It is worth considering pros and cons to what is the most optimal way of using your CRM Online system and chose the option that works best for you to get the best performance.

Some useful links.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn531055.aspx

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh699710.aspx

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3018360/

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7f9d8425-f26c-43ac-bdc7-ff258977ff80#BKMK_iPad

#crm-online #performance

https://keithcockerham.com/crm-online-performance-compatibility/

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management.

What is CRM?

In it’s simplest form, CRM is a system or strategy that allows businesses to manage relationships with their customers.

At it’s core, CRM stores details about Leads, Organisations, Contacts and Sales Opportunities associated with them in one central location. Any correspondence is recorded against those records meaning that any employee who has access to the CRM system has the information required to service the customer.

What is Microsoft Dynamics CRM?

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is Microsoft’s Customer Relationship Management solution. Out of the box, the product focuses on Sales, Marketing and Customer Service (Help desk) but as it is highly customisable it can be extended to include other areas of the business.

Microsoft CRM was originally launched in 2003 and was the first application from Microsoft to be built from the ground up on the .NET framework.

#crm-online

https://keithcockerham.com/what-does-crm-stand-for/

Microsoft CRM Online Licence costs in GBP

(As of August 2015)

Licence Type

Price

Term

Dynamics CRM Online Professional

£40.50

GBP / user / month

Dynamics CRM Online Basic

£18.70

GBP / user / month

Dynamics CRM Online Essential

£9.40

GBP / user / month

Dynamics CRM Online Enterprise

£124.60

GBP / user / month

Dynamics CRM Online Additional Storage

£6.20

GBP / GB / month

Microsoft CRM Online Professional User Licence

This is the recommended licence type for most users and provides full access to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Application for Sales, Marketing and Service. CRM Online subscriptions require a minimum of 5 Professional Licences.

Microsoft CRM Online Basic

Designed for entry level CRM users who need access to basic CRM functionality including accounts, contacts, leads and case management and the ability to run reports.

Microsoft CRM Online Essentials

Designed for users who do not need access to basic CRM functionality but require access to update activity management and feeds.

Microsoft CRM Online Enterprise

Provides access to all the functionality of a CRM Online Professional licence, plus access to Microsoft Dynamics Marketing and Parature.

Additional Storage Space

CRM Online comes with 5GB of storage space (with an extra 2gb per 20 CRM users)

#crm-online #licencing #storage #user-subscription-licencing #usl

https://keithcockerham.com/microsoft-crm-online-licence-types/

Optimal CRM are pleased to announce that they are one of the first companies in the UK to attain the Microsoft Cloud CRM Competency.

Optimal, who recently became a managed Microsoft Partner; one of the top tiers of Microsoft Partners in the UK have gone from strength to strength with purpose built offices and an increase in staff.

Managing Director, Keith Cockerham commented “we are delighted to be one of the first companies in the UK to attain this competency as it demonstrates our commitment to the Microsoft Cloud Platform and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online”

“By achieving a silver competency, organisations have proven their expertise in specific technology areas, placing them among the top 5 percent of Microsoft partners worldwide,” said Phil Sorgen, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft “When customers look for an IT partner to meet their business challenges, choosing a company that has attained Microsoft competencies is a smart move. These are highly qualified professionals with access to Microsoft technical support and product teams.”

Optimal CRM recently launched their partners program which enables Microsoft Office 365 partners to complement their offering with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by tapping into Optimal CRM’s rich skillset.

Optimal CRM are part of the family-owned DCS Group of companies with offices across Yorkshire, a history spanning a quarter of a century and a turnover in excess of £8m.

#cloud-crm #crm-online #optimal-crm

https://keithcockerham.com/optimal-crm-attains-cloud-microsoft-crm-competency/

Microsoft have released a series of videos to help customers get more out of the new Spring ’14 release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM as well as Microsoft Dynamics Marketing and Microsoft Social Listening. You can check them out below.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Get started with Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Service Management Overview
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Sandbox Instance
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Product Updates
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online License Management
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Case Management Enhancements
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Queue Enhancements
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Routing Rules
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring ’14 Overview of Unified Service Desk

Microsoft Social Listening

Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Understanding Sentiment
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Tuning search topics
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Setting Up Search Topic
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Sales Scenarios
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Overview
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Marketing Scenarios
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Customer Care Scenarios
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Trial Overview
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Trial Walkthrough
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Managing Alerts
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Working with Facebook Pages
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Understanding Quotas
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Analytics Deep Dive
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Identifying Influencers
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Managing Users and Settings
Microsoft Social Listening Spring ’14 Working With Posts

Microsoft Dynamics Marketing

Microsoft Dynamics Marketing Spring ’14 Overview
Microsoft Dynamics Marketing Spring ’14 CRM Connector Setup
Microsoft Dynamics Marketing Spring ’14 Administration in O365

#crm-online #videos

https://keithcockerham.com/spring-14-release-videos-microsoft-dynamics-crm-microsoft-dynamics-marketing-microsoft-social-listening/

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available.
(Referred to as CRM Online Spring ’14 Update in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online)

The build number for this release is 6.1.0000.0581

New features in this release include:

• Microsoft Dynamics Marketing – Plan, drive and measure marketing
  
• Microsoft Social Listening – Social media and sentiment monitoring
• Improved Customer Care – SLA Management, Entitlements and more
  
• Enhanced Mobility – Support for Windows 8.1 and improved Android and iOS apps.
  

Important Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 SP1 includes all updates that are contained in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Update Rollup 2 and also contains new updates. CRM 2013 SP1 will be required for any future update rollups that are based on CRM 2013 SP1.

Useful Links

Microsoft CRM Spring 14 Release Preview Guide
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customer Centre – Get ready for the next release
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Readme
TechNet Article – Update Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013
Download – Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 SP1

#crm-2013 #crm-online #spring-14-update

https://keithcockerham.com/microsoft-dynamics-crm-2013-sp1-available/

Have you received the following email? 

Storage Limit Reached

Dear Administrator,

Your organization, , has reached 80% of its storage limit. When the storage limit is exceeded, people will be unable to add data, such as records, to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

To avoid exceeding the storage limit, we recommend the following approaches:
1. Delete any data that you no longer need. After you delete data, it may take 24 hours to reflect the deletion. Learn how to effectively free storage space.
2. If you have the appropriate privileges, you can purchase additional storage for your organization.

Thank you,
The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Team

If so, as the email states, you have reached 80% of the available space within your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Organisation.

Note: the following email discusses deleting data from Microsoft CRM. If you are in doubt, please call us to discuss, we take no responsibility for loss of data as a result of following this post!

Out of the box, Microsoft CRM Online comes with 5GB of storage space. The first, and easiest solution is to buy more storage space for Office 365. At the time of writing, additional space for CRM Online is £6.20 per GB per month. [price updated Dec 2015]

Additionally from CRM 2013, Microsoft will add an extra 2.5GB of storage space for every 20 Professional User Subscription Licences (so if you have 20 users, you are entitled to 7.5GB of storage space). You may have to raise a support request with Microsoft to receive your entitlement.

To review the currently used space in Microsoft CRM, go to Settings -> Administration -> Resources in use.

Microsoft have published a list of 10 ways to free storage space in CRM Online here.

In our experience, the most common ways to free storage are as follows:

Review Workflow History

Back in CRM 4, CRM kept a history of every instance of a workflow, be it cancelled, waiting or succeeded. This resulted in every instance of a workflow being logged (I’ve seen the workflow history table, internally called AsyncOperation reach 60GB!). So the first thing to check is that completed workflow rules are deleted. (From within each process/workflow rule, check “Automatically delete completed workflow jobs (to save disk space)” is ticked.

It is also possible to set up a recurring system job to delete complete workflow rules (I like to keep 90 days of history for troubleshooting)

Remove File Attachments

In CRM, you can store attachments against notes. These can quite rapidly eat into your storage space. A far better solution is to integrate Microsoft CRM and SharePoint Online (storage space in SharePoint Online is only 13p per GB per month!)

You can run an Advanced Find on the Notes table in CRM where IsDocument =1 (remember to include the File Size column). This may give you an idea of where your space has gone.

Delete Email Attachments

When tracking an email in Microsoft CRM, attachments are also transferred into CRM and are stored in the EmailAttachment table.

Unfortunately, it no longer seems possible to access the email attachment table directly in CRM Online (if you find a way, drop me a line!) The query below will show any emails in CRM where there is an attachment > 500 KB (Note: deleting these entries will also delete the email and any attachments from CRM)

Using http://crm2011internalemail.codeplex.com Internal Email Helper by James Lattimer It is possible to create a manual workflow rule for Emails to remove email attachments without removing the email

It is also worth noting that by default, Microsoft CRM limits the maximum attachment size to 5 MB. You can change this through Settings -> Administration -> System Settings -> Email.

Buy more space

If you have tried all the above and you are still receiving emails about reaching 80% of your storage space, it might be time to buy more space which can be done via portal.office.com. It can take up to 24 hours for the new storage space to show up in CRM.
 

If you would like help assessing where you have used your storage space in Microsoft CRM Online, please contact us.

#crm-online #space #storage

https://keithcockerham.com/storage-limit-reached-in-microsoft-dynamics-crm-online/

With the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Service Pack 1 and CRM Online Spring ‘14 releases, Microsoft are reviewing the list of supported configurations to keep current with technology.

Changes in supported platform software

For the next release, The following operating systems will be unsupported for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server: